The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-05-27

clause as to the preparation of original dies
by him Is mlted To new coins.
sxaEMIc INVESTIGATION.
The United States geological survey has
taken lllinediate action for the purpose of
collecting valuable information regarding
the recent earthquakes In Arizona. The
plan Is To sepd letters OF inquiry with printed
! questions relative 10 the exact time the
shocks were felt, their duration, and other
particulars which may give an idea of the
l Intensity of tlse shock, the apparent direc-
ton in which the wave travelled, the accom-
! panying sounds, the effect ON springs, wells,
contour OF mountain ranges, etc. Great re-
dance will be placed upon the voluntary
assistance OF correspondents newspapers,
etc. i'm the disturbed area, which assistance
esesulted in the case of the Charleston earth
quake In the accumulation OF an immense
amount ofvaluslsle data Naturally the exact
tame Is the most difficult observation to get,
| although, one OF the most important. The
hest reports dire made, as rule, by
| telegraph officials whose time Is corrected
daily ny telegraph The direeto of the
| geological survey announces that IL anyone
| who Is willing 10 6eRd in facts which he
| thinks of interest, especially as to the exact
time, will send postal-card with his address
| 20 the survey at Washington printed cir
| cular and q ranked envelope will be at
once sent him that his report may be incor-
p0rated with other dat, collected. The dis
| turbed area seems to be, roughly speaking.
q circle some four hundred miles in radius,
fully one quarter as large as the Charleston
| earthquake and nearly q third of the area OF
the Rlviere earthquake of last February.
BUSINESS NEARLY PARALYZED.
The State Department has received and
transmitted to the Interstate Commerce
Commission letter from the United States
Commercial Agent at London, Ont, relative
TO the effects OF the Interstate Commerce
law on trade between the Unite d States and
Canada. He says the uncertainty as to rates
and the advanced rates have almost para
lived business between Canada and the
States. The letter says:
'The Canadian railways cannot yet give =
through rate over their own and connecting
American lines, and shippers are cOnse-
quently unwilling to let their goods go to
the frontier, not knowing what the further
delivery to an inland or seabOard point Will
cost. This, however, IS not the worst fea-
ture of the case, rs the Importance of receiv-
ing Canada's exports is lost when compared
to the damage done our import trade into
Canada. We last year lost some 10 per cent
OF our advantage over England in this mar
ket and where competition is so keen and
freights from England and New York so
near the same, and this the busy season OF
selling goods for delivery, we give the En-
glishman O great advantage over us by his
being able to name the exact rate OF freight,
while the American salesman, In the pres
ent chaotic condition of railway tariff can
or SIS per 100 pounds A settlement must
shortly be arrived at. or our commerce will
receive such damage that it will take years
to regain the lost trade and the prestige
which we now enjoy in this country.
DEPARTMENTAL PROMOTIONS.
Congressman Ben Butterworth, who had
two years experience in the departments as
aminatiOnS OF clerks for promotions:
Primarily, there Is no person so well
qualified to determine promotions as the
head Of bureau, but he can't always use
his best Judgment in such matters. l made
it an almost inhexible rule in the patent
office to promote only the most competent,
the most meritorious / did not ask the
politics, religion, or color of the person. IL
he or she had q record that deserved pro.
motion made it, But occasionally L had
to throw tub to whale. and that is where
the difficulty comes in. Strong political and
social influence will demand the promotion
Of inferior persons over the superior clerk.
In some cases it is almost q matter of inn
possibility to refuse these demands. i made
enemies by adhering to my rule as rigidly as
L did. Now IL system of competitive ex-
aminations could be devised that would re-
lieve the head of the bureau of the RESPONSE
bility of making selections for promotions,
1t would be good thing provided the ex-
aminations could be based upon the records
the clerks have made for efficiency. The
danger is that these examinations will be too
technical. You might take some OF the ablest
clerks in the interior department for instance,
to-day, and they have perhaps forgotten how
to extract the square or the cube root be-
cause they haven't had any occasion to APP
ply the rules since boyhood. But If the ex-
aminations for promotions could be made
practical and be relieved from questions and
the records of the clerks, as made from month
TO month or by the year, be permitted to
count, think it would be good thing.
The annointinp officer will have tllp WhOla
list of eligibles to select from, so that there
will be large discretionary margin for him
to use or abuse.
FOREIGN TRADE.
The bureau of statistics has just issued
statement of imports and exports for three
fourths of the current fiscal year in com
parisOn with the corresponding portion OF
the previous fiscal year in which there Is
much that is gratifying The imports show an
increase of SIS, 100000. Exports of domestic
merchandise show an increase of $62 900, 900.
The excess Of imports of coin and bullion
ports of wheatmor than doubled in quantity
and value, and in flour there was substan-
tial increase. In raw cotton the increased
value OF the export Is more than $26,OOO,0OO,
and in cotton cloths there is an increase OF
81, 500, 000 In manufactured leather there
is an increase OF 81, zoo, 600. In mineral
oils there is loss of q couple of millions.
In provisions and dairy products the in
creased export amounts to $500, 600. In
spirits there is large falling off. In tobacco
the gain is less than S1,000,000. In wood
and its manufactures there Is falling of
of nearly 81, 500, 900. In raw wool, which Is
small item in the exports, there is relative
ly large falling OFF,
One of the most interesting things shown
is that while the total wheat exports of
eIndia increased, England bought less wheat
of India and very much more of the United
States In ten months ending Jan. 81,
India exported more than 81, 000 hun
dred-weights Of wheat, all increase of nearly
1000, 900 above the corresponding period In
the previous year. But the increase was In
the exports to France and Italy, mainly the
latter. The exports from India to the
United Kingdom fell off more than 1000, 900
hundred-weights.
Our corn exports for the first nine months
of this fiscal year show falling off Of S.
600, 900. due mainly to reduced purchases by
England. The value of our total wheat ex-
port shows q gain of $33, SOC, 600, or more
than double. Our gain In exports to Eng
land was S14, 900 900 TO France the increase
was nearly $40, 0O0, 900 as the export in nine
months Of 1856 was only $3.50, 900, and in nine
months of 1887 considerably above $40, 000,-
OpO 10 ofbar Enrornaou 0Oupfrfoo thu In